Class Warfare is not nice

A few days ago I ate a bunch of fiber rich foods too close to bed time. My wife was not happy with the results, but I was happy that she didn't resort to calling it ass warfare. I had no intention of taking the ground she occupied or killing her. Calling this situation a war could only lead to a hardening of positions. My determination to eat what I want and her rights to a peaceful night's sleep would both be compromised by raising the stakes in the discussion. Neither of us wants to lose a war. War implies national pride, life and death. We should really be discussing farts, which typically do not involve patriotism, life and death.

President Obama has again proposed raising taxes on rich people. In Republican circles, this amounts to class warfare. Can't they come up with a better sound bite than that? What would they call it if poor and working class people took up arms and killed rich people with swords and axes? If you have already defined class warfare as raising taxes on the rich, where can you go with your rhetoric?

I humbly suggest that Republicans tone down the rhetoric a bit. The Freedom Tax, Class Argument, BadDemGoodRepub and Shartonomics come to mind. Come on Conservatives you can come up with something better than Class Warfare. This is the party that coined "no new taxes", "government is the problem" and "tax and spend". I have faith in you knuckleheads.

Economic malaise and blame to go around

The US economy is dead in the water. Today's bleak job's report cinches it. The entire thing will remain stalled until the election is over and the newly elected (or re-elected) federal office holders are in office. This will happen in early 2013. Even then, improvement is only possible if voters make a clear choice.

There is no psychological momentum for spending on anything. Consumers are afraid of losing their jobs, don't have jobs, are underemployed or otherwise watching their investments produce zero or negative earnings. They won't spend. Governments can't hire people because elected officials are too scared to spend. Companies are likewise afraid of hiring because earnings are so spotty.

The voting public of the USofA is almost entirely to blame for this condition. We elected Obama and put a conservative House in place to resist any liberal leanings he had when he was a Senator. We have put a paralyzed Federal government into place and now they are powerless to agree to any solutions to our problems.

President Obama will propose some very conservative job creation measures next week, including an extension of the gasoline tax to pay for road improvements and a continuation of the payroll tax 'holiday'. Republicans have already shot these ideas down. Nothing will get done and our economy will continue to sputter, our leaders blame each other and we citizens toss bullshit rhetorical devices at each other to cheer on our respective chosen team of politicians (party).

We suck, but at least we have football season coming.